1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for operating an electronic device utilizing an animated character display which displays a simulated human animated character which converses with the user and performs predetermined processing reflecting the content of the conversation and an electronic device used in that system for operating an electronic device.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, in a car navigation system, there is a function called an “agent”. This agent function displays a simulated human animated character which converses with the user and performs predetermined processing reflecting the content of the conversation. For example, when the user speaks a specific prerecorded command, the processing corresponding to that predetermined command is automatically executed, then information relating to the operation such as road guidance is provided to the user by audio or video (for example, see Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 9-102098, Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 11-259271, and Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 11-259446).
This agent function can be realized not only in car navigation systems, but also portable data terminals carried by users, home appliances installed in the home, etc. However, the functions described in the above patent publications limit the agent functions to the specific hardware. That is, it is difficult to transfer agent software between hardware. It is hard to use the same agent software by a plurality of hardware.
Therefore, even if a user uses the agent function of his portable data terminal on a trip, he cannot use the agent function of the portable data terminal in his car navigation system when returning to his car. That is, the user has to differentiate between commands for his portable data terminal and commands for his car navigation system even when desiring to have the portable data terminal and car navigation system perform the same processing. Therefore, there was the problem of a poor level of convenience. Further, when a user wishes to change car navigation systems, he must differentiate between the commands for the old car navigation system and the commands for the new car navigation system. In this case as well, there was the problem of a poor level of convenience.